LITTLEFIELD — A Littlefield man sentenced to life in prison for murdering his girlfriend will not receive the new trial he had sought.
The Amarillo-based Seventh Court of Appeals denied Eduardo Ortega’s request for a new trial.
Ortega, 23, had appealed his conviction based on juror misconduct.

PENWELL, Texas (AP) — Eight inmates and two corrections officers died Wednesday when a prison bus skidded off an icy West Texas highway, slid down an embankment and collided with a passing freight train, authorities said.

MULESHOE — Muleshoe could be in the early stages of adopting a sex-offender ordinance.
City Council will hold a discussion Monday evening regarding the proposal. Cindy Bessire, principal of the school district’s Watson Junior High, is listed on the agenda to lead the discussion.
Through further talk and research, the city could consider formally adopting such an ordinance, City Manager David Brunson said via email.
In Texas, convicted sex offenders are required to register information such as their address and workplace with law enforcement.

LITTLEFIELD — The largest employer in town just announced it’s permanently closing its doors, leaving a good chunk of the community jobless.
For anyone familiar with the closure in February 2013 of Plainview’s Cargill Meat Solutions plant, news from Littlefield could seem like déjà vu.
The American Cotton Growers denim mill just northeast of Littlefield closed Tuesday, laying off its staff of 340 people.
Littlefield is one of my favorite towns in our coverage area, and watching its economy slide could be heartbreaking.
So, will the town r

For many farmers, January is somewhat of an off-season between harvesting one crop and planting the next one.
That doesn’t mean they won’t be busy, though, particularly if they have a younger generation to whom they’re introducing the world of agriculture. That often means raising livestock, and showing those steers, hogs and other critters.
Here is a list of upcoming South Plains county livestock shows:
Bailey County - Jan. 23
Briscoe County - Jan. 10
Crosby County - Jan. 14-17
Dawson County - Jan.